Many People Have Difficulty Paying Their Energy Bill Each Month. The Problems are particularly acute in the provinces of Drenthe, Friesland, Groningen and Limburg. This is accordance to research by the Berency Agency, Commissioned by Energy Supplier Essent.
In The Province of Groningen, 8 percent of people live in Energy Poverty. This is slightly more than in Drenthe, where 7.8 percent of households struggle with energy costs. The Fewest Problems are in the Province of Utrecht, Although equally there 5 percent can barely pay the bill.
The Researchers Say That The Fact There Are Mainly Problems Outside The Randstad is Partly because Residents There Have Lower Average Incomes. In Addition, The Houses in Those Regions are somewhat Larger and Residents Can Invest Less in Insulation of Their Homes.
Accordance to Essent CEO Resi Becker, Households in Groningen Pay An Average or 105 euros per Month More Than a Comparable Household in Utrecht. “The Lowest Incomes Often Often The Highest Energy Expenditure, While They Are The Least Able To Invest In Making Their Homes More Sustainable,” Says Becker.
The researchers also see that are large differentials between neighborhoods in the same city, with the energy gap in Amsterdam Being the Largest. In The Omval Neighborhood, Households spend An Average or 1.5 percent of their Income on Energy, While in the Medical Center Slotervaart Neighborhood That is 13.5 percent.
Looking at the Whole Country, People in the Drieslag Neighborhood in Dronten are sausage off. They spend an average or 21.5 percent of their income.
Require Landlords to Make Their Properties More Sustainable
Essent sees Several Solutions to the Problems. For example, tenants should be able to force their landlord to make their home more energy efficient. Now They Can Submit A Request, But Landlords Usually Reject It.
In Addition, there are too many differenties for making homes more sustainable. Accordance to the energy supplier, one counter would be easier and clearer.
Furthermore, The Temporary Emergency Fund for Energy Should give way to a Permanent Fund that also Helps to Make a Home More Sustainable. The temporary fund would only alleviate the acute problems, but would not offer a structural solution.